Eurovision History Chats

Since their debut in 2004 with "My Galileo," Belarus has created quite a stir in Eurovision. Through highs and lows, Belarusian enthusiasm for the contest is undeniable.

For a long time, Norway was the perennial underdog of Eurovision, and yet since their debut in 1960, Norway has 3 wins under its belt and a true tour de force in Eurovision.

Starting off with their debut song "Voi Voi," which is a true gem and evergreen to this day, Andy & Hikaru go through the wonders that is "Stress" in 1968, to the Supreme saga of Norway's entries from 1973 to 1976, the Skorgan-Teigan period where a musical marriage played itself out on the stage of Eurovision, the first Norwegian win in 1985, the peculiar "Mrs. Thompson," the 90% instrumental "Nocturne," elfin Alexsander Rybak's win in 2009, and more.

The first of what will be many strolls through Eurovision History. In their debut episode, Andy & Hikaru tackle the Netherlands. Starting off with the tour-de-force that is Conny Van den bos's "'T is genoeg" and stopping off at several major points in Dutch ESC history including: Milly Scott's entry in 1966 (the first ever Black performer at Eurovision), Sandra & Andres's 1972 entry which began what Hikaru calls "the bouncy years," and Ruth Jacott's breakdancing ode to peace in 1993. The Dutch Eurovision History is remarkable!

Andrew Bell & Hikaru Freeman tackle their biggest assignment to date: Germany's entries from the surprisingly modern Freddy Quinn in 1956 to Lale Andersen's subdued entry in 1961 to the funky brilliance of Joy Fleming in 1975 and to their two intriguing wins in 1982 and 2010.

20 years ago, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia began its breakup culminating in the eventual independence of all its former member republics, most of which have joined Eurovision as independent countries.

Within Eurovision, Yugoslavia, as a Communist country that looked West while many of its neighbours looked East, provided an eternal glimpse that we would all eventually live in harmony regardless of politics.

Starting out with Lola Novakovic's sophisticated 1962 ballad, going through the subtly shocking 1974 progressive rock entry by the Korni group, and culminating in 1991's possibly defiant, but undeniably distinct, "Brasil." Andrew Bell & Hikaru Freeman see the humour and the poignancy of the Yugoslav story at the Eurovision Song Contest.

You can hear more from Andrew Bell on JOY 94.9's The Full Catastrophe.(Saturdays, 10am GMT)
More from Hikaru Freeman on JOY 94.9's WorldWideWave (Wednesdays, 12n GMT.)

JOY.org.au